Alexander m



Jan. 15 1924 I A. M. HUDSQN WHEEL FENDER Original Filed Jan. 29, 1919INVENT OR m mm A'lTORN s Reissued Jan. 15, 1924. v a Re; 15,145 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER I. HUDSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WHEEL FENDER.

Original application fled. Ianuary 29, 1919, Serial No. 273,703. lenewedlarch 18, 1921, Serial Io. 452,722. Original R0. 1,393,020, datedOctober 11, 1921. Application for reissue filed September 21, 1923.Serial No. 664,189.

To all whom it may concern: reenforcing and rear springs as hereinafter55 Be it known that I, ALEXANDER M. HUD- described. soN, a citizen ofthe United States,'residing Throughout the drawings and description atNew York, in the county of New York the same letter is used to refer tothe same and State of New York, have invented cerpart.

tain new and useful Im rovements in Wheel Considering Figs. 1, 2, 3 and4 of the 60 Fenders, of which the ollowing is a s'pecifidrawings, theside pieces A and a of the cation. frame of 1 an automobile, haveattached v This invention relates to wheel fenders, thereto thefendersupporting brackets B such as are applied to automobiles, and itand b. It will be noted that the brackets belongs in that class offenders comprising have the curved portions B arranged with 65 springsextending transversely across the their convex sides against the sidepiece of front of the v ehicle, and arranged as a prothe frame. Thebrackets aresecured to the tection to the lamps and radiator, while alsoframe by means of the clampingafixtures extending at the sides or endsto protect designated generally by the letters C and 0.

the wheels or to prevent persons from fall- Each of these clampingdevices has an L- 70 ing against the wheels when hit by the bolt 1,provided with a nut 2 on the 11 per fender. end of its horizonta portionor leg, an the The object of this invention is the propurpose of the nut2 is to hold the catch duction of a wheel fender of the character block3 in engagement with the edge of the stated comprising parts of specialconstrucu-shaped side piece A of the automobile 75 tion and arrangementwith reference to each frame. The clamping fixture C is best ilother,whereby it is believed that the elastic lustrated in Fig. 3. Thevertical 1e of the effect of all the various springs or parts L bolt 1has a nut 4 on its lower en which thereof is fully called into play whenthe secures the eye 5 of the eye-bolt 6 u' on the fender encounters anobstacle, and the vertical leg of the L-bolt 1. It wil be obsprings willnot be permanently distorted served in Fig. 1 that the L-bolts en go theby such collision but will recover their origconcave sides of thegrooved arts l of the inal shapes and positions. brackets supporting thefen er. The eye- The special construction and arrangement bolt 6 passesbeneaththe side piece A of of the parts of this invention are set forththe automobile frame, and it is provided 85 in the accompanyingdrawings, of which with a nut on its extremity the urpose of Figure 1 isa top plan view of the front porwhich is to hold the catch block 7 inention of an automobile frame with a fender gagement with the edge ofthe side piece A .;constructed in accordance with this invenas shown.The object of the construction tion applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sideview, explained for the clamping fixture C, is to slightly enlargedshowing the spacing provide for slight difl'erences in width shacklethat pivotally connects the outer height of the side pieces of the framends of the front bufier spring and the rear different kinds ofautomobiles. Th 40 or auxiliary spring. Fig. 3 is a cross-section isadjustable for the width at of one of the side nieces of an automobilefor the height, and the eye-be frame illustrating'the clamp or fixturefor able for width at the bottom. securing the fender bracket inposition. The fender portion of this i Fig. 4 is a crosssection of theslotted-block prises the rear or auxiliary s connecting the rear springsof the fender which have the shackles and the end of the supportingbracket connected with their ends I and shows the curved construction ofthe again mention parts whereby the fender be adjusted and a are se in ahigher or lower positi n. In t n to 3 and the scale of drawing and thesections are taken upon lines and i-"4 of Fig. l.

the bracket is located in a recess in the slot 10, while the rear springmay be moved up or down in the slot, when the set screw 8 is loosened.The end vof the bracket, and the rearspring as well as the slot 10 areformed with surfaces which may be described as portions of cylindershaving the same central axis. Thus, if the set screw 8 be loosened therear spring d of the fender may be raised or lowered correspondinglyadjustin the fender as a whole. .7

e remaining members of the fender structure are the front bufl'er springG to the ends of which the shackles E and e are pivotally connected, andthe reinforcing spring g, coupled at the ends to the main spring by theclamps H and h.' At the middle point the main and the cap or reinforclngspring g are joined by a connector K, and the ends J and j of the rearsprings D and (1 pass movably through the con'- nector K. It will beunderstood that the connector K which, as stated, joins the main bufierspring G and the outer; 'or reinforcing spring g, is secured to thosesprings at their middle points in any common way. This may be done bybrazing or by electric welding, but I prefer to use an adjustable clampor sleeve of any suitable. form, which, after being placed around thesprings, is tightened to the needed degree by means of a nut and boltforming part ofthe clamp. Such clamp is illustrated by K in Fig. 5. Itis provided with tapped plate m, lag bolt Land lock nut Z, the boltoperating through said plate to hold the members .1, 171G, 9 under thetension desired. This will provide a frictional hold sufficient for thepurpose, and at the. same time: permitindependent movement of thesprings with respect to each other. The connector K is an essential partof myinvention only when the rear s ringis made in two parts. It is notinten ed to limit this invention to constructing the rear springs in twoparts with the overlapping en the sprin may be made in one continuouspiece. lo r is the reinforcing spring 9 a necessary part of myinvention. It will be further understood that the special form ofshackle set out in Fig. 2 may be departed from within the purview .ofthis invention.

In the operation of this invention, it will be noted that the shackles Eand 6 permit the ends of the main and rear springs to move independentlyas to direction wherever the end portions of the fender encounter anobstacle, and it is also believedto be clear from the drawings and theforegoing description that the full elastic capability of the endportions of both main and .rear springs is brought into play. Neither ofthe springs is twisted or distorted. Further- 'more, "if the main. sring; is struck in. the

middle it is bent bac P at 'for connectin said front spring with thesaid rear sprin s. as shown in Fig. 1, as

and receives the assistance of both portions of the rear springs D anddlying between the brackets, to the full elastic limlt of those portions.The ends J and j of the rear springs, which overlap as explained andillustrated, slide upon each other and within the connector K, and ablow upon the middle of the fender, if the fender is constructed inaccordance with this invention, will not tend to spread the side piecesA and a of the automobile frame apart. In any event, whether struck inthe middle or at the ends, the full elasticity of all the springsconcerned is brought into play. i i

Having now described this invention, and explained the mode of itsoperation, what I claim is: 1. In a wheel fender, the combination withfender supports, of a main buffer front spring, a rear auxiliary spring,'shackles pivotally connecting the outer endsof the main and rearsprings and spacing the said ends apart, the said rear spring being bentforward in the middle and arranged in contact with the said frontspring, and means the middle portion of the 2. In a wheel fender, thecombination wit fender supports, of a main front bufl'erspri ng'andhaving extremities overlapping in the middle,'the said'overlappingextremities of the portions of the rear spring being arranged againstvthe middle of the main spring", means connected with the said mainspring and constructed to hold the overlapping extremities of the rearspring. in position, and shackles pivotally connecting the outer ends ofthesa d main andv rear springs and s acing the said ends apart.

3. n a wheel fender, a fender su port comprising an arm provided wit h aplurality of projecting curved portions, a side piece of an automobileframe having a flat side, the convex sides of the said curved portionsof the said arm being arran against the flat side of the said side pieceof the frame, and means enga ing the concave sides of the said curveportions of the arm for clamping the arm and side piece together.

4. A fender support, comprising an arm,

a block carried by the said arm, the said block having a curved opening,a fender having a. portion arranged movably in said opening of the blockand correspondingly curved whereby the fender maybe adjusted higher'or.lower in the said opening of the block, and means for clamping-thefender in the block. a

5. A fender su port "clam ing fixture, comprising in com ination a-shaped side piece of anautomobile frame, an- L-bolt arranged upon'thetop and along the vertical side of the said side piece, a catch blockengaging the L-bolt and an edge of the said side piece, a nut on theL-bolt for securing the said catch block, an eye-bolt arranged againstthe bottom of the side pieceand having an eye engaging the said L-bolt,means for retaini the eye upon the L- bolt a second catch lock engagingthesaid eye-bolt and an edge of the said side piece,

'anda nut on the eye-bolt for securing the mild hb o k- 6. In a wheelfender," the combination with fender supports, oi a main bufier frontspring, a rear auxiliary spring, shackles pivotally connecting the outerends of the main and rear springs and spacing the said ends apart.

7. In a.- wheel fender, the combination with fender supports, of amain-bufle'r front spring a rear auxiliary Spring, shackles pivotal mainand rear springs and spacing the said ends apart, the said rear springbeing bent forward in the middle.

8. In a wheel fender, the combination main and rear springs and spacingthe said ends apart, the said rear spring being bent forward in themiddle and arranged in contact with the said .-front spring.

' 9. In a wheel fender, the combination rear spring ly connecting theouterL-ends-of the with fender supports, of a main front bufler spring,a rear auxiliary spring including two portions, the said portions of therear spring be' connected with the saidv supports, and aving extremitieswhich over ap,, and means for holding the overlapping extremities of therear spring in position 'nst the -main spring, and shackles pivotallyconnecting the outer ends of the said main and rear springs, and spacingthe said ends apart.

10. In a wheel fender, the combination with fender supports,of a mainfrontbufier spring, a rear auxiliary spring including two portions, thesaid portions of the rear spring being connected with the said an portsand extending forwardly toward t e said main spring, andfhavingextremities which overlap, and means for movably holdingthe overlappingextremities of the in position. against the main s ring, an shacklespiyotally connecting t e outer Ends of tbs;l said'amaigi and rearsprings an s in t esai' an as art.

11. In a w isel ender', the comliination with vfender supports, of amain from; bufier spring, a rear auxiliary spring including twoportions, the said portions of the rear spring being connected with thesaid supports and having extremities which overlap, 'and means forholding the main spring and-the overlapping extremities of the rear sring in contact with each other, and shac es. pivotally connecting theouter ends of the said main and rear springs and spaizing the said endsaipart.

, ALEXANDE M. HUDSON.

